"Babar Azam since 2022 is free wicket"- Top 10 funny memes after Babar fails to score a single half-century across 3-Test series in Australia

Pakistan stalwart Babar Azam was on the receiving end of stern criticism from fans after his batting failures in the three-match Test series against Australia. He finished the series without scoring a single half-century after getting out in the second innings of third Test on Friday (January 5) at the SCG for a score of 23.

On the back of Aamer Jamal's splendid spell of 6/69, Pakistan bundled out Australia for 299 in the third session on Day 3. Marnus Labuschagne (60), Mitchell Marsh (54), Usman Khawaja (47), Steve Smith (38), and Alex Carey (38) performed decently for the hosts in the batting department.

The visitors then lost two early wickets in their second innings. Babar Azam (23) tried rebuilding the Pakistan innings by stitching a 57-run partnership with debutant Saim Yub (33).

However, he departed while facing part-timer Travis Head. Pakistan's batting line-up then collapsed like a house of cards in the final moments of the day, with the visitors taking stumps at 68/7.

Azam's series with bat ended with just 126 runs across six innings at a dismal average of 21. His scores in those innings were 21, 14, 1, 41, 26, 23. Fans were highly disappointed with Babar's batting performances on the Australian tour. They trolled him on social media platforms by sharing hilarious memes.

Here are some of them:

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"The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar Azam to take a rest"- Mushtaq Ahmed

Former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Ahmed recently advised Babar Azam to step away from cricket for a while and rejuvenate himself amidst his struggle for runs. He cited the example of Virat Kohli, who took a small break last year before the Asia Cup, before roaring back into world cricket.

Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Mushtaq said:

"Across the world, we provide coaching, and when we realize a player is mentally disturbed, we give them a break of 2 or 3 matches. When Virat Kohli was out of form, he took a break, and since then, he hasn't faced the same struggles. The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar Azam to take a rest. Babar has given outstanding performances, and he is our hero. He is considered one of the top players in the world.

He added:

"However, he faced challenges such as losing the Asia Cup, the World Cup, and subsequently losing the captaincy amid rumors and difficulties. Often in our culture, we fail to realize the need for breaks. If I were there, I would have suggested giving Babar some rest. Skip the three Test matches and focus on the upcoming series."

Do you agree with Mushtaq Ahmed's views above? Let us know in the comments section below.